The Line between Love and Hate
by ilovemybishies87
Summary: Updated 9.15.08 A series of mostly drabbles focusing on the complex relationship of Ulquiorra Schiffer and Inoue Orihime. Ratings vary from K to T.
1. Greeneyed Monster

Title: Green–eyed Monster  
Pairings: Slightly UlquiHime-ish  
Rating: K  
Spoilers: None  
Word count: 248

I know what you are thinking. Another series? Don't you already have, like, two that you're working on? Yes, but…this is basically my "everything else that doesn't fit into Dangerous Dance and Side Stories" series. Expect most of them to be drabbles, although there may be some longer things if my muse is up to it.

* * *

Ulquiorra envied them.

He couldn't understand why he did. Despite all his talk of how they were nothing but "trash", he envied them because there were so many things that they could do that he was unable to in his current existence.

It wasn't the big things, really, just little things that humans were stupid enough to take for granted. Breathing, for example. What would he do to be able to feel fresh air in his lungs again instead of the oppressive reiatsu-laced one of Hueco Mundo? And sleeping, to be able to close your eyes and feel the weight of your shoulders be lifted from you, even if it was just for a few hours.

What he missed the most, even though he would never admit it, was being able to feel. As an Arrancar, an Espada, the emotions he was able to experience were quite limited and typically centered on fear and pain. Arrancar were not like humans, who were able to feel happiness, joy, elation, and other such positive emotions.

It was only around **her** that Ulquiorra felt this way. He watched her even breathing as she slept, her hair an orange mess around her head. Taking a small strand of hair, he breathed in Orihime's scent and brought the silky strands to his lips. It was these things that humans took for granted in their lives that made Ulquiorra envy and hate them, including her.

He couldn't help it if he was jealousy personified.


	2. Pity versus Love

Title: Pity Versus Love  
Pairings: UlquiHime  
Rating: K  
Spoilers: The whole of Weber's Phantom of the Opera…kind of.  
Word count: 567

I tried to make this one more UlquiHime than the last one was. I apologize in advance for the really weird/crappy summary of POTO.

Please remember to review! Enjoy!

* * *

" Have you ever seen _The Phantom of the Opera_ before, Ulquiorra-san?" Orihime asked, looking up at her guard expectantly. He stared at her blankly. 

" What?"

She smiled and replied, " _The Phantom of the Opera_. It's a musical…well…. Actually, now that I think about it, it was a book before it was a musical. And there are a lot of movies that are based off the book and then there was that movie that was based off of the musical…"

" Please get to the point," Ulquiorra demanded. She had only been in Las Noches for a few days and her incessant chatter was already driving him to the edge of what little sanity he possessed.

' How is it that she is able to irritate me with such little effort on her part?' he wondered.

She let out a nervous laugh and scratched the back of her head. " Sorry. My friends told me I tended to babble a lot and go off topic and such."

" I would have never guessed," Ulquiora replied in a somewhat sarcastic tone, although Orihime didn't notice it.

" Well," she started, "the story is about a girl named Christine and she's a great singer, but no one really expects her to be a great singer, but one person, the Phantom can see the potential she has and decides to train her and make her a big star and all, which he does. However, her childhood sweetheart, Raoul, sees her when she is becoming famous and, remembering her, kinda wants to start where they left off…"

He closed his eyes, hoping that she would finish with her "summary" soon.

" Anyway, Christine is happy that he remembers her and she falls even more in love with Raoul, but she feels obligated to the Phantom and the Phantom has already fallen in love with her and he kidnaps her…"

Ulquiorra opened his eyes at this part and turned his attention to what she was saying.

" And, well, to make a long story short, there's a big confrontation at the end of the story between the three, Christine, Raoul, and the Phantom. Either she has to stay with the Phantom and be his wife or not be his wife and have the Phantom kill the one she loves. In the end, she kisses the Phantom and he lets the two of them go off to be happy, even though he's in love with her."

" Hm," he replied.

She let out a soft sigh, her eyes becoming softer. " As much as I'm glad that the two got to be together in the end, I can't help but feel bad for the Phantom. He loved her too! Sometimes, I think she should have stayed with him instead. Don't you think so, Ulquiorra-san?"

Orihime saw that his face was the slightest bit softer than usual. Looking directly into her eyes, he answered, " No."

" Eh? Why not?" she asked, her eyes widening.

There was a moment of silence in the room, the two just staring at the other. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Ulquiorra finally answered.

" The Phantom loved her and desired for her to love him in return, correct? She would have stayed with him only because she pitied him. Pity…" he said, his eyes looking downward, " is not the same as love."


	3. Pockets

Title: Pockets  
Pairings: UlquiHime  
Rating: K+ for implied dirty acts  
Spoilers: Nnoitra's last name  
Word count: 923

A/N: Holy crap! I'm not dead! School has been taking up a lot of my time, not to mention the lack of UlquiHime interaction hasn't help invigorate my muse any.

Anyway, this takes place before the meeting where Aizen shows Orihime the Hougyoku, which is shown in flashback in chapter 249. Enjoy!

* * *

'Are there pockets? But, they're hakama. They aren't made with pockets…' Orihime thought as she walked down the halls of Las Noches while staring at her guard, her head tilted at a slight angle. 

Normally, she wouldn't have noticed some minute detail, like Ulquiorra's habit of having his hands in his pockets…or wherever they were, but being stuck in such a dreary place with nothing entertain herself, Orihime's attention turned to something…anything…to stave off boredom.

' Then again,' she decided, almost running into an Arrancar in the hall and mumbling a quick apology, ' I guess it wouldn't be too much of an issue to have hakama made with pockets, considering some of the alterations that I've seen…'

"Woman, stop dawdling."

"Eh?" She pulled her gaze away from the floor. It was then that she noticed she was a couple of paces behind Ulquiorra. "Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't realize I was –"

"There is no time. We are already late to our meeting with Aizen-sama as it is," he responded, resuming his trip towards the throne room.

Nodding, Orihime quickened her pace, but she as she began to get lost in her own thoughts, she began to walk more slowly.

' After all, there's the one masked Espada that has that really ruffle-y coat and then there's the female Espada who has the more…revealing top, and then there's the really tall Espada,' she considered, giggling a bit, ' who has that weird hood that makes him look like a spoon.'

"Oh? Something you find amusing, Pet-sama?"

She looked around her, only to find Nnoitra leaning against a wall to her left and no Ulquiorra to be found. She gulped as he sauntered towards her. She wasn't sure why, but she felt unnerved by his presence.

"Um, no-not really, Espada-san," she replied, looking down at the ground, away from those snake-like eyes. He was dangerous, she knew. Then again, so were all the other beings in Las Noches.

His grin grew at her name for him. " Nnoitra. Nnoitra Jiruga. You were obviously thinking of something…or perhaps someone."

She shook her head quickly. "N-no. I really wasn't. I was…just thinking…" Orihime trailed off.

Nnoitra leaned in, making her take a few steps back. " You were thinking…?"

"I-I was thinking whether Ulquiorra-san's hakama had pockets or not," Orihime blurted out quickly, hoping that his curiosity would be satisfied and he would let her go.

"Oh? Why were you thinking about that?" Nnoitra asked, shifting his weight to his other foot.

"It's just that…I mean, if he **doesn't** have pockets, why does he stick his hands into the slit of his hakama? Maybe his hands get cold really easily?" she suggested.

The tall Epada stared at her blankly for a few seconds before he broke out into laughter. It wasn't pleasant laughter either. It felt like nails on a chalkboard or some other noise that resulted in goose bumps and cold shivers in one's spine.

" I never thought about that before," Nnoitra replied, his grin wider than she had ever seen, " Perhaps he's playing 'pocket pool'?"

She blinked. " But, Nnoitra-san, how could Ulquiorra fit a pool table in his pants?"

Nnoiotra let out a snort, before placing a hand on her shoulder. " Pet-sama, I think you misunderstand what I meant. Pocket pool is when –"

"Nnoitra," Ulquiorra replied coldly, grabbing Nnoitra's hand and none-too-gently removing it from Orihime's shoulder, " It would not be wise to make Aizen-sama's guest even later to her meeting than she already is. Besides, do you not have some mission that needs to be completed?"

The two Espada glared at each other before Nnoitra walked from the direction that Orihime and Ulquiorra had come from, tittering. Ulquiorra looked at her blankly.

" Come, woman."

* * *

"I'm glad that Aizen…-sama wasn't upset that we were 30 minutes late," she said, scratching the back of her head sheepishly as she entered the room that she had been staying in for the past couple of days. 

" You are our guest. Aizen-sama is very forgiving," Ulquoirra stated, closing the door to her room. "If you do not require anything else, I will be leaving."

Orihime's eyes lit up. ' This is my chance! I can ask him if his hakama have pockets!'

"Um…Ulqui…orra-san?"

"Hm," he replied, staring at her. She began to feel the weight of stare on her and began to fidget uncomfortably.

"Ano…I was… wondering…if…you…pocket?" she ground out, looking at her hands, the floor, anything except his piecing eyes.

Orihime opened and closed her mouth a few times, willing words to come forth, but nothing coherent came. If she didn't ask soon, he would leave, and she knew she wouldn't have the courage to ask him some other time. Finally, she let out a heavy sigh.

'I can't believe I'm doing this.'

Suddenly, before Ulquiorra had any idea what was going on, Orihime's hands were in his hakama right along with his own. After a few seconds, her eyes widened and a blush crept across her face.

" I take it that your curiosity has been satisfied?" Ulquiorra asked, slowly taking her hands and placing them at her sides. After seeing her nod of affirmation, he turned around and exited her room, an almost imperceptible smirk on his face.

Orihime stood where he left her for a few seconds before she walked over to the couch, sat down and placed her face in her hands. Now Orihime knew why "curiosity killed the cat"; it died from utter embarrassment.


	4. Another Day

Title: Another Day  
Pairings: UlquiHime  
Rating: K  
Spoilers: None  
Word count: 502

Before anyone points out, I know Valentine's Day in Japan is typically where the girls give gifts and the White Day, in March, is when the guys give gifts.

I have no idea where this came from! I was just sitting down and trying to write a paper and then...this came out. Please forgive any typos! I didn't have time to get this beta-ed. Happy Valentine's Day/Singles Awareness Day, everyone!

* * *

"Ne, Ulquiorra?" Orihime asked, not bothering to turn to her guard. He made a non-committal noise, which she took as her cue to continue. " What day is it today? I've been here for so long, I've lost track of time."

" Does it matter?" he replied, staring at her with slight curiosity and annoyance. " Time in Hueco Mundo passes differently than it does in your world."

She let out a little sigh, closing her eyes softly while fidgeting uncomfortably. Her eyebrows twitched imperceptibly, although he knew it meant that she was close to tears. A twinge of guilt passed through him, making feel a discomfort that he had not known since…well, ever. What harm could telling her what day it was bring, after all?

" It's the 14th of February," Ulquiorra relented.

Orihime opened her eyes in surprise, exclaiming excitedly " Really? It's Valentine's Day!"

He looked at her sudden enthusiasm curiously. " What exactly is this…Valentine's Day…?"

She smiled, although whether it was a bright smile or a melancholic smile Ulquiorra was unsure.

" Well," Orihime started, " Valentine's Day is typically seen as the day of lovers, where you either buy or make something for the one you love and give it to them! It's just a day to let them know that you care!"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. " As opposed to every other day of the year, where you treat them like dirt on the bottom of your shoe."

"That's not true!" she said, pouting. " At least, that's not what it's really supposed to be about. Anyway, it's also a day when you can express your feelings to someone that may not know that you like them without feeling, you know, too awkward because…well…other people all over the world are doing it too." Orihime blushed slightly.

Ulquiorra walked up to her, looking down at her flushed cheeks and starry eyes. " Is that so?"

She blushed more and focused her gaze on his mask. " Well, yes…"

" I see. Foolishness."

Taking her off-guard, he tipped her head up and kissed her. Her eyes widened at the warmth of lips on her own. Her brain told her that she should push him away; it was wrong to be kissing your enemy, but her body was frozen. It wasn't the soft, chaste kiss that she had been expecting for so many years, but, oddly enough, it was better than she imagined it would be. His lips slid smoothly over hers and she heard him take in a deep, content breath. After a few moments, he parted, looking deeply in her eyes for something, although she had no idea what. Ulquiorra nodded lightly, approving of what he had found – or, perhaps, what he didn't find – and turned to exit her room.

"Bu-but I thought you…isn't this Valentine's Day stuff foolishness to you?" she stammered, her fingers moving to her lips.

Ulquiorra turned around and stared at her thoughtfully. " It is. But, when it comes down to it, it's just another day."


	5. A Dream Deferred

Title: A Dream Deferred  
Pairings: UlquiHime  
Rating: K  
Spoilers: Chapter 315  
Word count: 911

Wow, I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. It's totally unbeta-ed and sort of on the random side. Please forgive me for any typos. The poem is not mine. It belongs to Langston Hughes.

Hope you enjoy, though! I promise next time I'll do better.

* * *

She walked down the street, dragging her feet across the pavement. It had been a few months since the battle between Aizen and his Arrancar and Soul Society. Orihime looked at the familiar surrounding of Karakura town. All the people were going about their lives, no idea that they had been so close to destruction. She was back in her familiar schools clothes, hanging out with her familiar school friends in familiar places, and yet Orihime felt as though she no longer belonged here. She sighed and turned to a shop window, placing her hands on the glass and looking at her reflection.

" It's not the same without _him_," she said aloud to no one.

* * *

_In the fifth tower, Orihime turned around, feeling the sudden increase of reiatsu. Her eyes widened. Ulquiorra stood near Aizen's throne, staring at her with a look on his face that she had never seen before. It was not usual mask of indifference; she knew that face all too well. He almost looked…relieved? Happy? She wasn't sure. Those words typically didn't go hand-in hand with Ulquiorra. _

" _A-are you alright?" she asked, walking closer to the cuatra Espada._

" _You need not concern yourself," Ulquiorra stated plainly, his face returning to normal. " That Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo. He's on his way here. You can feel it, can you not?"_

_Orihime frowned. Now that he mentioned it, she could feel his warm, familiar reiatsu, coming closer and closer to where they were. Why did this news not bring her as much joy as it should have?_

" _You are not happy to hear this?" Ulquiorra pointed out, coming closer until he stood right in front of her. " You're a very unusual human, woman."_

" _Don't hurt him..."_

" _Hmph. Of course," he replied, bitterness leaking into his voice," It would not do to see __**him**__ hurt." He started to turn away from her, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. _

_Orihime looked up, confusion in her eyes. " I don't want to see you hurt, either."_

_Ulquiorra's eyes softened slightly. They stood that way for a moment, some unspoken understanding having gone on between them. Suddenly, his eyes hardened as looked past her. "Kurosaki Ichigo."_

* * *

She had tried to plead with them, hoping that they wouldn't feel the need to fight one another. In the end, Orihime knew that there was nothing she could have said to dissuade them. They had business with each other and they wouldn't be stopped until the other was seriously injured or dead. It had been such a horrible battle to watch. The way they fought was so…inhuman. At first, it seemed as though Ulquiorra would win the fight, hands down, but as always, Ichigo always found the strength just when he needed it. Soon, the tables were turned.

* * *

_Ulquiorra was on the ground, panting. ' How could he have advanced this much is such a short period of time?' he wondered, wide eyed._

" _Come on, Inoue. We need to go and find the others," Ichigo said, grabbing her arm and starting to pull her away. _

_Orihime refused to budge, her body planted to the ground. She was transfixed as she stared at the green eyed Espada on the floor. _

' _His eyes,' she thought, releasing herself from Ichigo's grip and slowly walking over toward Ulquiorra, ' I know those eyes. The pain in them.' She knelt down beside him, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. _

" _They're just like mine," Orihime murmured, her eyes softening. Ulquiorra looked up at her, confusion written on face. She leaned in closer, placing her head on his, careful to avoid his mask. She felt him release a shaky breath and closed her eyes._

_For the first time in her whole life, Orihime knew the meaning of contentment._

* * *

' And then my savior dragged me away and I never saw him again,' she thought sadly. ' I don't even know what happened to him.' Orihime pulled her hand away from the glass, and walked into the store. It happened to be a bookstore, full of all sorts of books ranging from textbooks to manga. She walked around, not really looking for anything in particular, when she heard a voice in the back of the store.

Curious, Orihime walked toward the voice, finding an older woman reading some poetry from a book. Around her was a group of people, mostly young adults like herself.

" Here, dear," the woman said, taking notice of her, " Would you care to read a poem?"

Orihime wasn't really one for poems, but, seeing all the expectant looks on the people around her, took the book. She didn't know the poem, but began to read anyway.

" What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or does it fester like a sore – And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over – like a syrupy sweet? Maybe…" Orihime trailed off, her voice getting softer and more raw as tears entered her eyes.

She handed the book to the woman and ran out of the bookstore before anyone could ask what was wrong. After a while, she slowed down to catch her breath. Looking at the time, she noticed that it was nearly time for dinner. Turning around, she walked back to her apartment.

"It just sags," Orihime said softly, "like a heavy load…"


	6. Where Do the Souls of Dead Children Go?

Title: Where Do The Souls of Dead Children Go?  
Pairings: UlquiHime  
Rating: K  
Spoilers: None

Okay, I admit, the title is _loosely _(er, very loosely) related to the fic. I just thought it sounded very interesting. It cames from a fanart that I saw a number of years ago.

Anyway, hope you enjoy! Please read and review!

* * *

"Ulquiorra, may I ask you a question?" Orihime asked, turning her attention to her stony guard, standing by the door.

" You just did," he pointed out monotonously, although she felt there was a bit more humor coloring his voice than normal. She rolled her eyes. " I will need to be reporting to Aizen-sama soon, so please ask quickly."

Orihime blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected him to humor her by answering her questions. Ulquiorra turned to her, his eyes narrowing imperceptibly. "Well?"

" O-oh. Right," she exclaimed, laughing nervously, " Well, I was wondering, how is it that any of the residents of Hueco Mundo have any clothing?"

" Excuse me?"

She scratched the back of her head. " I mean, to the extent of my knowledge, there aren't any shopping malls where you can buy clothing or even the materials for clothing and yet everyone here, from Aizen...-san and the other Shinigami to the Espada to the lowest Arrancar, have clothing. So, I was just wondering...how?"

Ulquiorra stared at her as though she had grown another head. " Is it unbelievable to consider that perhaps it is some unfortunate Arrancar's mission to go to the real world and retrieve such items?"

" Ah, well, yeah. That's true," she looked away from his patronizing gaze, "I never considered that." A pause. "That's gotta be a terrible job, I mean, in the grand scheme of things, to be the "materials getter" or whatever."

He made a non-committal noise. There was a few moments of silence until Orihime started again.

" Hey, Ulquiorra?"

" I thought you already asked your question," he pointed out, already making his way for the door.

"Just one more," Orihime said, motioning for him to stay in the room for a few minutes longer. He closed his eyes, which, she noticed fairly quickly since she was first bought to Hueco Mundo, was the equivalent of sighing for him. Walking over to the couch she was currently occupying, he stood in front of her.

"Make it quick. Aizen-sama does not appreciate tardiness."

He crossed his arms in front of his chest. The gesture made her feel even more intimidated by his presence, but, undaunted, she started.

" Can Arrancar have children?"

A very weird, strangled noise came from Ulquiorra and she thought his face looked a bit pinker than it normally did, although that could have been her imagination.

" What?" Ulquiorra asked, his voice wavering ever so slightly.

Orihime giggled, amused at what she assumed to be his discomfort with the current discussion. " Well," she started, tapping her lip with her pointer finger, " it's just that I've never seen a baby Arrancar around Las Noches. I mean, I know there's Wonderwyce, but I remember one of other Espada telling me that he was created that way. So, one day, when I was sitting here with absolutely _nothing _to do, I thought to myself, " Wow, you know, I've never seen a baby Arrancar before. I wonder if the Arrancar can have children? I bet Ulquiorra will know!". So, _can_ you?"

Ulquiorra stood up quickly, his hair covering his eyes. She looked at him curiously.

" No," he said in a clipped manner, walking to her door and grabbing the handle.

" Wait!" she exclaimed. His shoulders stiffened, and he turned around.

" Woman.." He said, a bit of a edge in his voice.

" Last one, I promise," Orihime stated, bringing her hands together in a pleading gesture. Ulquiorra turned around and glared at her, waiting for her to ask whatever asinine question she felt was necessary to pester him with.

" What happens to Arrancar who are killed? Where do their souls go?" she asked somberly.

He continued to look at her, his eyes softening slightly. " Where do you think they go?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Orihime glanced at him, her eyes shining. " I _hope_ that they go to Soul Society. I mean, I remember Kuchiki-san telling me that not all Hollow become Hollow of their own free will. And, even if they do, it's because they're sad and lonely, and it's that loneliness that consumes them." She closed her eyes. " How can anyone blame them for that? Everyone deserves to have a second chance."

Ulquiorra said nothing for a moment, his hand still resting on the handle of her door, absorbing what she told him. After a beat, he started.

" I am fairly certain no one knows where Arrancar go when they die," Ulquiorra started, noticing her deflate a bit at his answer. His frown deepened. " However, since they are just a more evolutionized variety of Hollow, and Hollows can go to Soul Society, I suppose the same principles still apply."

A small smile graced her lips. " You really think so?"

"...Yes," he said, opening the door and closing it behind him. He stood outside her door for a few moments before he made his way to Aizen's chambers, listening to the clicking of his heels on the marble and thinking of the young woman in his care.

' That is the first time I ever lied,' Ulquiorra noted.


	7. After Five Lifetimes

Title: After Five Lifetimes  
Pairings: UlquiHime and IchiHime  
Rating: K  
Spoilers: Most recent chapters of Bleach

Wow, I am SO sorry that I haven't posted this here yet! It's been on dA for over a month now and I've been meaning to post it here, but...life got in the way. Please forgive me for my airheaded-ness.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

" Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime yelled with a gasp, putting her hands over mouth.

She watched as he was tossed across the room, flinching as he slammed against one of the many pillars scattered about the room. She wanted to run to him, to make sure that he was still okay, but she forced herself to stay. Out the corner of her eyes, sauntering up to the injured boy was...

" You honestly believed you would be able to defeat me, Shinigami?" Ulquiorra said emotionlessly, tilting his head slightly as he glared at the orange-haired teen. He gripped his zanpakuto tightly, pointing the tip of it at Ichigo's throat. " Foolishness. It's that conceit that will bring about your downfall."

Ichigo glared at the Cuatra Espada from his spot on the ground, clutching a gaping wound in his stomach. His face contorted with pain. " You bastard."

" Hm," the green-eyed Espada responded, throwing him one last piercing glance before turn around and settled his eyes on Orihime. " Woman."

She could feel her eyes widen, her posture become more rigid, and her heart beating frantically. Still, Orihime refused to give him the pleasure of knowing that he elicited these responses fin her. Instead of looking away uncomfortably or wringing her hands together nervously, she forced herself to stand tall, breathe evenly, and look him straight in the eyes.

" Yes, Ulquiorra?" she asked, her glare never faltering even as get closer.

His eyebrow twitched as she said his name. " Now that your precious nakama has been defeated, I have a question for you."

" What is it?"

They were close, much closer than they'd been since he'd first taken her to Las Noches. She could almost feel his breath on her face as he leaned over her imposingly.

" You say you wish you could live five times over," he started slowly. " Then, you'd be born in five different cities, you'd stuff yourself with different cuisines five times each, you'd have five different jobs-"

Orihime's breath quickened and her limbs started shaking, whether from rage or some other emotion she couldn't quite name. For reasons she couldn't understand, it almost felt like betrayal or an invasion of privacy. She felt a warmth rush to her cheeks as the Cuatra Espada continued on.

" Most importantly, though," Ulquiorra stated, his head almost leaning against hers. " For those five lifetimes, you'd fall in love with the same person, correct?"

" Yes," she gritted out, her fists balled by her sides. The urge to slap the him again was almost unbearable. " Why?"

Ulquiorra took a step back, an odd look on his face as he questioned, " And after those five times? What about then?"

" Wha-what are you talking about?"

" It would make more sense to show you than to tell you," Ulquiorra replied, raising his left hand and taking out his eye.

Orihime flinched as she stared at the green orb in his hand. After a moment or two, he closed his fingers, crushing it. She was surprised when the eyeball fractured into tiny fragments, floating around in the air instead of squishing like normal eyes did when they were crushed.

Fragments of memories flashed through her mind, almost causing her to faint at their sudden intrusion, but still she stood, slightly hunched over. Closing her eyes, she could see, could feel, the images more clearly. There was a twinge of pain in her chest as she saw an Egyptian princess in the moonlight, sharing an intimate kiss with one of the palace guards. The images flash forwarded to Rome, where a soldier and his lover were sharing a meaningful embrace before an important battle. Again, the scene changed, much too quickly for Orihime's taste, to somewhere in Europe, where a young wife was morning the loss of her husband who died in the Crusades. The next two scenes she couldn't even focus on what was going on, the pain in her chest becoming too great. It almost brought her to her knees. Vaguely, she could feel a pair of hands holding her up, keeping her from falling to the ground.

As suddenly as it started, it was over. Orihime's face was covered in sweat as she looked up at Ulquiorra.

" I've waited five lifetimes for you, watching as you fell in love with the same person each time," he muttered, his fingers trailing over skin and causing her to shudder. " Your five lifetimes are up. So, I ask you, what are you going to do now?"

There was a long pause, her mouth opening and closing a few times before she shook her head in dismay. Orihime licked her lips and whispered softly, " I don't know."

Then, for the first time since she'd known him, the pale, green-teared monster standing before her smirked widely.


End file.
